


The First Time They Met

by spitshineboi



Series: Antiope and Menalippe and Clëis [1]
Category: Wonder Woman - All Media Types
Genre: F/F, Telling a story to a five year old
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-10
Updated: 2020-10-10
Packaged: 2021-03-08 02:55:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,661
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26928490
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spitshineboi/pseuds/spitshineboi
Summary: Clëis meets her cousin Diana for the first time.
Relationships: Antiope/Menalippe (Wonder Woman), Hippolyta/Philippus (Wonder Woman)
Series: Antiope and Menalippe and Clëis [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1964806
Kudos: 4





	The First Time They Met

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you once again Dr_Hoffmans_Mechanic for your wonderful beta reading!

Diana came into her aunts’ house with her mother and ‘step mother’ Philippus.. A shrill cry of “Theía!” was yelled as Clëis ran into Hippolyta’s arms. She hugged her for a moment and then saw Diana. Complete shydom came over her immediately and she turned into Hippolyta’s shoulder. “Down,” she mumbled and, as Hippolyta put her down, she raced into Antiope and Menalippe’s arms. She then hid behind Antiope’s leg, peaking around it to stare at Diana.

Now Diana knew quite a lot about little children. She had been in Man’s World for many years after all. She knelt down so that she was on the same level as her little cousin. “Hello Clëis,” she said “I am your cousin.”

Clëis stared at her for a moment and then moved further behind Antiope’s leg. She was certainly shy and a little afraid. She had never met a stranger on Themyscira and that scared her so much she didn’t know what to do. 

Diana stood up and smiled “Theía “ she said as she and Antiope hugged. “It’s so good to see you.” They smiled at each other for a moment before she turned to Menalippe.

‘Theía Mena”, Diana said as she hugged Menalippe. She had always shortened Menalippe’s name. Menalippe put up with it.

“Princess,” Menalippe replied as she rolled her eyes good humoredly. “It’s good to see you again Diana. It has been too long.”

Clëis frowned as she stared at Diana and her Máter and stuck her finger in her mouth. She was obviously thinking and thinking hard. Antiope turned around slightly and picked her up holding Clëis in her arms. She turned her around so that she could see Diana again. “This is your cousin Diana. Remember? We talked about her” Antiope said to her daughter who was held at her mother’s shoulder. She stared a moment and then Diana reached over and booped her nose. Clëis giggled and turned back to her mana.

They all laughed and went out behind the house where a light dinner was sat out. Figs, grapes, dolmades, cucumber slices, fresh flatbread, tzatziki, spanakorizo, feta, freshly boiled eggs, and lemons dribbled with honey were on the table. It looked wonderful. There was well watered and sweetened wine and some water for Clëis who, once again, began to beg for the wine. Once again Menalippe said “No” but Antiope poured a little in her cup then filled it to the rim with water.

“Let her get used to the taste Menalippe”, Antiope said. 

“Why do I have to be the disciplinarian?’ Menalippe mumbled, rolling her eyes and huffing a little. Antiope just smiled cheesily at her, then turned away.

The food was wonderful. It was fresh, freshly picked and freshly prepared. Menalippe was certainly an excellent cook, having harvested and cooked most of it herself. The garlic and coriander and other spices were plentiful, the lemons were not too tart but somewhat sweet themselves, especially with the honey. The fresh flatbread and tzatziki was divine as was the feta. The fried falafel was hot and crispy. 

Everyone started filling their plates and Menalippe helped to fill Clëis plate fighting with her over cucumber slices. She argued that Clëis liked cucumbers having eaten them for years while Clëis nearly yelled saying “No!” over and over again. Menalippe finally got her to put one small cucumber slice on her plate while Clëis made a face at it and mumbled about it being there touching her other food.. She then tried to push it off her plate onto the floor while Menalippe pushed it back onto the plate. Clëis was finally made to eat the damned cucumber slice and made an absolutely disgusted face as she did. Antiope was trying very hard not to laugh but finally couldn’t hold it back. She laughed aloud.

The table was circular so Diana was seated at Clëis left hand. Diana leaned over to Clëis saying, loud enough so they all could hear, “You don’t have to eat them. I don’t.” Everyone else just stared at her with a ‘huh?’ look on their face. Hippolyta looked exasperated though.

“Why, my sun and stars, are you telling her that?”

Diana smiled broadly and said to her mother “Because I don’t like them either.”

Menalippe put her head in her hands and groaned “She’ll never eat one again.” 

Antiope, shaking her head, answered her wife, “No, i don’t think she will.”

Diana didn’t seem to care, smiling and saying “More for you Mother.”

Hippolyta said nothing to her daughter, just turned to Antiope and Menalippe and said “I am sorry Antiope, Menalippe.” Philippus nodded at the same time.

With that the dinner continued. Soon, they were laughing as they talked with each other. Diana answered some questions about her life in Man’s world but mostly asked Clëis what was going on and discussed the best ways to win at knucklebones and playing with balls and hoops. They also spent some time talking about jump rope and, especially, cat’s cradles. Clëis ran, without asking if she could go, and got her favorite red cat’s cradle string and played with Diana. Then Clëis grabbed Diana by the hand pulling her into the bedroom while Diana laughed. They were obviously having great fun.

After dinner they all went into the house with Hippolyta helping Menalippe and Antiope take all the dishes into the kitchen. They cleaned the dishes while any leftovers were stowed away or brought out to the seating area to munch on later. Philippus poured wine for each of them, laying the cups on a side table and then sat down. She left Clëis’ cup for Antiope to fill. The four adults sat on couches in the living room near the brazier that was happily burning. It was nice and warm. Antiope leaned into Menalippe’s arms while Hippolyta sat next to Philippus. They started to discuss the army and training as Antiope, Menalippe, and Philippus were all a major part of that. Hippolyta was also part of the discussion as she was commander in chief. This was definitely one martial family.

Soon Clëis and Diana came out from Clëis’ bedroom and joined the others. Diana poured herself some wine while Antiope made the ‘special wine’ for Clëis. It seemed to make Clëis happy that her Mana was doing this. She had a giant grin on her face as Antiope handed her the little ceramic cup. She was then picked up by Antiope and brought over to Menalippe who enfolded her in one of her wonderful hugs until she cuddled in deeply.

“Máter, tell me a story please?” Clëis exclaimed and Menalippe looked to the others and saw agreement on all the faces.

“What would you like your story to be about my child?”

“Phoenixes!” 

“Hmmm, well I know a few things about them but it was your Mana who saw one and then brought her home.”

“She did?”

Turning to Antiope quickly she said “Mana, Mana, tell me about them! PLEASE?”

“I’ve only met one little one. I’ll tell you what happened and then Máter will tell you more if you wish.”

Clëis nodded her head eagerly so Antiope began.

“Many years ago, when we all were new in the world, I was riding between Sparta and Corinth one evening. It was getting late so I decided to stop for the night. I quickly made camp and got a small fire going for warmth. It was just starting to blaze when a huge and mighty wind roared down from the nearby hills and blew my fire out. I leapt to my feet. I was terrified but I pulled out my xiphos and prepared for whatever would come.

But nothing happened. I finally calmed myself and decided to start another fire. As I put flint to metal another wind, worse than the first, whipped around me and put my smoldering fire out. Again I jumped to my feet. The wind was still blowing but this time I noticed that none of the trees and plants moved with it. 

This time I didn’t calm down. I got angry, I shouted “What is happening here?” I certainly didn’t expect an answer but a voice came from a nearby crack in the rocks of the mountains. “I do NOT want you to set a fire,” it whispered to me.

Well, that certainly got my attention. I was actually somewhat scared. “Why?” I finally yelled as shivers racked my body. I was trying to be brave but it wasn’t working.

Suddenly a huge, shimmering bird could be seen just a few paces from me. It was about the size of an eagle and had bright red, orange, and yellow plumage. Its claws were a radiant white. It had yellow feathers on its legs and orange feathers on its chest, wings and tail feathers. Its back, neck and head were red and its eyes were bright bright blue. It rustled its feathers as it drew near to me. Despite my terror I stayed on the spot waiting for the phoenix to speak again. The air grew warm as it came towards me. 

“I am ready to molt” the bird said as if I should know what that meant.

I looked at it. Honestly I couldn’t see anything about it that looked like a molting bird but that certainly didn’t mean that I could tell or knew anything about it. True, I knew eagles as I’d fought and hunted with them. I knew the signs that they were starting to molt. Was it different for a phoenix?

“I will die tonight as I immolate myself and then be born anew in the morning,” the phoenix said, then continued. “I will set fire to everything about me and burn up the world if there are other fires about.”

I stood with my mouth open. This would certainly affect me and mine. The phoenix looked angry at me. “I do not want the world to burn with me,” she said. 

I shivered at the thought of what that would do. Burning alive terrified me.

Finally, after seemingly sighing, the bird said “I will be your fire tonight. Once I start to burn I will burn until dawn. You will then find an egg in my place. It will glow like fire and will be hot to the touch. Dig a large hole and place the egg in it and cover it with loose soil. Then leave.”

I thought for a moment and decided to do as the bird asked me, but I had one question to ask first. “But why me?” I finally said. Better to know than not.

“Are you strong and brave enough to own my progeny?” she asked.

I looked at the bird for a moment then finally said “I certainly am brave and strong enough.” 

The bird then looked me up and down, appraising me. Finally it said, “Yes, yes you are. But are you wise enough to have my progeny?”

Well this was another thing completely. I was certainly not the scholar that my sister was. She was all of the things that seemed to matter to the phoenix. So I finally said “I am not the one then, but I know one who certainly is. Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons, my sister, is all of the things you seek.” I said. “Can I take your progeny to her?”

The bird seemed to think a moment and then the phoenix agreed! 

She sat where I had planned on setting my fire and, after a half hour or so, I sat so that I could watch and witness her immolation. We said nothing but I watched over her so she wouldn’t be alone. This seemed to please her. Near midnight she started to burn. I heard nothing from the bird, but just before daybreak she burned herself out. I found the fire egg just as I had been told. I wrapped the egg in my himation and hurried to Corinth to see Hippolyta. 

Once I got there I raced into the Queen’s presence chamber, rudely interrupting her as she listened to public concerns and answered questions. She saw me and ended the meeting, looking relieved actually, and said they would continue tomorrow. We then greeted each other fondly before we went into her inner chamber where I told her what happened and gave her the warm, cloth wrapped bundle and thanked her for looking after the egg.

Hippolyta sent for a large pot filled with soft, warm soil. She buried the egg and packed straw atop it. Then she set it in the area below her bed, near to a brazier but far from any cloth or furniture. 

Thirty-five days later the egg hatched and the new phoenix was born. She looked like a fuzzy little phoenix with no feathers. She was impressed by my sister and lived with her for many years. When she needed to molt she did so again and was reborn. This happened many times in the years of our fight and conquering of all the enemies of our state.The phoenix gave advice and gathered information for us at Hippolyta’s bidding and our enemies feared us more for it. She became the living embodiment of our nation as she always flew above the front troops as we attacked. In fact she led us to this island. Finally we were here and Hippolyta set the bird free. She flew away into the hills never to be seen again.”

Clëis looked stunned for a moment and then looked at Hippolyta. “You truly had a phoenix?” she asked, wide eyed.

“Yes. I set her free before Diana was born as the phoenix had gallantly done her job and she would never need to head our troops again.”

“Wow” was all Clëis said. “This is wonderful.”

“Don’t you see the phoenix figures all about our island?” Menalippe asked. “That is to remember the wonderful Phoenix.”

“Are you truly telling the truth?” Clëis asked the room. All the women, except Diana, answered yes. Diana looked impressed too. This was amazing. “Will she ever come back?” Clëis asked.

Menalippe answered “She hasn’t so far. Hopefully she has found a new keeper or is living in peace in the mountains.”

“I would know if she was unhappy, in danger, or in pain,” Hippolyta said. “She is fine.”

“Do you have any more questions, Moró mou?” Menalippe asked.

Clëis shook her head no, so Menalippe got to her feet, still holding Clëis. “It is now time for you to go to bed,” she said. Clëis didn’t even argue as Menalippe walked her round for kisses and a firm and loving hug from her Mana. Menalippe finally took her to bed.

Diana looked at Hippolyta. “Was that true?” she asked, flabbergasted.

Hippolyta laughed. “Well, you’ve never seen her have you?”

“That’s not what I’m asking Mother. Is the story true? Did you have a phoenix?”

Hippolyta looked around those seated in the nice warm room. Finally she said, simply, “yes.”

“Of course your mother is the most wise of all of us,” Philippus said proudly. “She would have a phoenix.”

“I even named my phoenix,” Hippolyta said. “I named her for my sister, my fire. I named her Anaki.”

Menalippe walked back into the room as Hippolyta said Anaki. “Not just your fire, she is  **my** fire. She is the light in my life. So I would say my fire. My Anaki.”

Menalippe sat back down cuddling Antiope while everyone laughed. Then, after a swift kiss they turned back to the others. Time passed with good wine and good conversation. Philippus finally said, a little tipsy, “We should all go home now I think.”

The others all agreed and soon, well relatively soon, the guests left. Antiope took Menalippe in her arms and said, quite simply “My Menal.”

Menalippe kissed Antiope again, looking into her bright cornflower blue eyes as she breathed, “My Anaki.”

**Author's Note:**

> Definitions
> 
> Theía Aunt
> 
> Spanakorizo rice dish
> 
> Máter Mother
> 
> Mana Mama
> 
> Moró mou my baby
> 
> Menal diminutive for Menalippe
> 
> Anaki “fire”, diminutive for Antiope


End file.
